Bringing to life the story and legacy of EC Close

The life of colonial military leader Edward Charles Close is a story that stretches from England to the Illawarra, with a long legacy for the Hunter. Southern Highlands historian Ann Beaumont has delved deep into his history as she writes his biography and publishes his comprehensive diary.

Edward Charles Close came to Australia as a soldier serving under famous English military leader the Duke of Wellington in 1817.

He not only spent time working for the colony in the Illawarra, but he went on to become a significant figure in the development of the Hunter, and particularly the town of Morpeth.

Mittagong historian Ann Beaumont has been writing his biography, and has also published a copy of his diary (The Diary of EC Close).

"Edward Close was a young lieutenant in the 48th regiment that came to Australia, and within months he was leading parties to the cow pastures around the Illawarra and Shoalhaven looking for escaped convicts," she says.

"He had time down there to start doing some paintings, and he seemed to have an interest in the Aboriginal people in the Illawarra."

As well as producing numerous landscape works, he also painted members of the Indigenous community.

"I suspect he probably may have got to know the Aborigines through [early explorer] Charles Throsby, but I can't prove it," Ann says.

"Soldiers just wouldn't have barrelled up to the Aborigines and said, 'hey can I paint you?' There must have been an introduction."

Ann points out that although Close was well-liked, his success rate of finding escaped convicts was low.

"Even when he was in the Peninsular War, I do wonder how he had time to capture all these paintings, but he obviously had a great interest in the landscape and the people."

His body of art is so extensive, he's now known as a significant colonial painter.

Settling in the Hunter

Like many of the Duke of Wellington's men in Australia, Close retired from the army and stayed in New South Wales.

As well as being based at the penal colony in Newcastle, he was granted land on the Hunter River and part of his holding became the town of Morpeth.

From 1831 to 1841, Close developed his 1000-hectare property as a river port and built his two-storey Georgian house on site.

"When he got a land grant at Morpeth, he was very generous to his workers and in the 1841 census he didn't have any convicts assigned to him.

"At that stage, some people who worked for him as convicts went on to work for him as free men."

Relationship with the Duke of Wellington

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, between a French army under the command of Napoleon, an Anglo-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher.

The coalition prevailed, and the Duke, born Arthur Wellesley, is regarded as one of the most significant military figures in the 19th century.

While Edward Close didn't serve in the Battle of Waterloo, he did work closely with Wellesley from 1808 to 1814 in at least eight battles.

"They served under the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Talavera [in Spain]," Ann says.

"He records Wellington galloped up to him and said '48th you are a wall' - basically saying they saved the day."